As set out in the material incorporated by reference, the Applicant has developed ink jet printheads that can span a print medium and incorporate up to 84 000 nozzle assemblies.
These printheads include a number of printhead chips. One of these is the subject of this invention. The printhead chips include micro-electromechanical components that physically act on ink to eject ink from the printhead chips.
The printhead chips are manufactured using integrated circuit fabrication techniques. Those skilled in the art know that such techniques involve deposition and etching processes. The processes are carried out until the desired integrated circuit is formed.
The micro-electromechanical components are by definition microscopic. It follows that integrated circuit fabrication techniques are particularly suited to the manufacture of such components. In particular, the techniques involve the use of sacrificial layers. The sacrificial layers support active layers. The active layers are shaped into components. The sacrificial layers are etched away to free the components.
Applicant has devised a new process for such manufacture whereby two layers of organic sacrificial material can be used to support two layers of conductive material.